Mathematically challenged

Labour won the Hamilton by-election to the Holyrood parliament (the devolved Scottish assembly) with a majority of 602 votes over the incumbent SNP (Scottish Nationalist Party). Reform UK came in third place. Richard Tice, multi-millionaire backer of the insurgent right wing populist party, called the result "truly remarkable"

“We were within 750 votes of winning that by-election, and just a few hundred votes of beating the SNP, so it’s an incredible result.”

In fact, the Reform UK candidate was 869 votes behind the SNP and 1,471 votes behind Labour 🙃 But as we all know, arithmetic is woke and elitist so should be disregarded. If this "truly remarkable" result is reproduced throughout the UK, everyone will be happy . . the fruitcakes can celebrate their successes and the rest of us can get on with the serious busuness of government 😊

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Northerner · 70-79, M

As a supporter of the Reform Party living in Scotland i'm delighted to see how well they did. I think what Zia did by resigning just hours before voting had finished was despicable. People like Zia are not needed in this Party. .I think we will see the more sensible Tory Party members leaving their party and joining Reform. This is something to look forward to next year.

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@Northerner His £200K didn't go amiss though . . exactly the same criteria for appointing party chairs as the Tories.

Tory support in Scotland is minimal and will do nothing to tip the balance of power.

Lugwho · 61-69, M

I'm a bit disappointed they got that many. I've lived in Scotland for 11 years and thought Reform were a non starter here.

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SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@Northerner What do you find rotten about the Labour government?

Northerner · 70-79, M

@SunshineGirl they are traitors to the people of the UK.

SunshineGirl · 36-40, F

@Northerner First Westminster government for 14 years to attempt to govern with the consent of nations other than England.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

Oh there is nothing new there: all defeated parties try to claim how well they did!

What is worrying is the low turn-out, about 40%.

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ArishMell · 70-79, M

@peterlee Interesting question. It might not be a matter of generation but more personal, depending on one's own experiences, so spread across the population.

peterlee · M

@ArishMell Are people in their thirties actually voting. They have the ones who need to work out the future of the country.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@peterlee I don't know but that is a worrying point.

What I've noticed that the main parties all waffle on about ones like Reform but they they never ask themselves publicly what their own parties are doing, or not, to attract votes.

peterlee · M

Reform do not have any policies. Just slogans. What rabbit hole are they going to lead us down, to reach their Wonderland.

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